The organic illusion: What you see isn’t what farmers get

The word “Organic” is most frequently used by the advertising industry, very regularly, which speaks about the health-consciousness of the consumers while assuring the purity and sustainability. When a consumer hears the word organic, the assumption would be the fields that are lush green, farmers not using any kind of chemicals for growing the crops, absence of adulteration, crops look very appealing or look like imagery, but there exists a gap between the intentions and the reality in the gracious use of the word “Organic”.

Organic farming emphasises crop diversity as compared to monocropping, which aims only at making profits. It also enhances the soil organic matter as compared to the chemicals that degrade it. It encourages the biological pest control methods rather which are friendly to the soil and the crop, in contrast to the chemicals, which leave residues in the soil. The result of all of this would be the creation of carbon sinks, which help in sequestering carbon. Hence, organic agriculture is not a way of cultivating crops, but it acts as a toolkit to combat climate change.

Why Organic Matters Now More Than Ever

In an era where everyone speaks about sustainability, environmental crises, and climate change, organic agriculture is a way out. The question that comes here is whether to embrace organic agriculture or not have done enough? When the green revolution was introduced, it was intended to increase our production in the shortest time, as nations were failing to feed their people. But the surprising fact is that even after achieving self-sufficiency in food production, nations started exploiting the ways in which chemicals could be used to obtain better yields. As a result of all this, the organic ways of doing things were slowly replaced by chemicals, which impacted our environment by means of contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn leads to climate change and impacts the planet's ecological balance.

Organic doesn’t mean Perfect

When we say something is organically produced, it should be understood that the produce is left to the forces of nature to act upon it in the production process. The result of this would be, the product is not of a specific size, the shape of the product might not be standardised, fruits and vegetables might have some blemishes on their skin, and they might even get spoiled very quickly. All of this would result in the product not looking shiny and flawless; rather, all the above-mentioned are considered to be proof of authenticity.

Falling for the Word "Organic"

The word Organic has become a marketing tool than a sustainable way of production. In order for a farmer to make the farm completely organic from the conventional ways of producing, it takes a 3–5 year conversion period during which the profits are less, and also the production will be hampered. It not only applies to production but also to processing, packaging, and transport. Once these criteria are met out the farm field is eligible to apply for the organic certification, but this also acts as a hurdle to the farmers as the cost of certification is higher. Even if the farmer manages to get the certification, there are many products on the shelves with the labelling of natural, farm fresh, and eco-friendly, which mislead consumers.

Hence, the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Food) Regulations 2017 have made it mandatory to have a Jaivik Bharat logo, which distinguishes the pure organic product from the conventionally grown products. Apart from this, valid certifications from NPOP or PGS-India are also helping in retaining the authenticity of the organic products.

Despite all these efforts, the consumers are misled and are falling for the flashy words used by the brands to make their products outstanding in the market, and thereby losing the trust of the organic growers, which deters them from staying committed to sustainable practices. 

The Case of Sikkim: Promise Meets Policy

The best example to take inspiration from is “Sikkim,” a small state that was declared as the “World’s first fully organic state” in 2016. The state was very successful in doing it as it took measures to achieve it in a phased manner, which resulted in 75,000 hectares of farmland being converted to organic cultivation, and the chemical input usage was phased out completely. It is also linked to the broader goals of the state, which include promoting eco-tourism, enhancing biodiversity, and adapting to climate change.

As a result, the input cost incurred by the farmers was found to be lower, and there was an improvement in the soil health. But the market access remains a challenge as the policy model of the state showed that it can only be achieved with infrastructure support and a better political will. This is also the plight of thousands of individual farmers in other states who struggle to get better markets and prices for their organic produce.

A Call for Informed Action

As consumers, all of us have a huge responsibility to scrutinise the labels, ask for the certification, and support the small farmers and cooperatives that practice what they preach. The policymakers, on the other hand, have to extend the support through subsidies, better market access, and certification support, which reduces the burden on the growers. If all of the above are taken care then India can address the issues of climate change and leap towards the adaptation strategies supporting the livelihood of the farmers and ensuring food safety. It should lead to a mainstream solution which takes into account securing policy, education, and consumer responsibility.
If organic is about balance—with nature, with food, with society—are we still on that path?